Staff HDL Hardware Engineer

Staff HDL Engineer

About Us:

BlackSky is a real-time intelligence company. We own and operate the world's most advanced space-based intelligence platform and provide customers satellite imagery, automated analytics and high-frequency monitoring of strategic locations, economic assets, and events from around the globe. BlackSky is trusted by the most demanding allied military and intelligence organizations and commercial companies to deliver foresight into critical matters that affect national security and the economy. BlackSky's data enables governments and businesses to see, understand and anticipate change as it happens, giving them the ultimate strategic advantage so they can act quickly. Our global team works with cutting-edge technology to make a difference around the world and prides itself on being people-first, customer-focused and fun.

 In this position you will act as a hardware designer, systems engineer, HDL programmer, and test engineer. This should seem exciting, not scary, and you must welcome the challenges that come along with the responsibility of full product ownership. You will own product design, performance, verification, and implementation from initial concept definition through final operation by the end user.

To be successful in this position, you will need to be passionate about delivering exceptional products that meet or exceed requirements and enable new capabilities for satellite performance. This passion will fuel your self-motivation to push tasks to ultimate completion. You will also need to enjoy working in a collaborative environment and work daily with engineers from multiple disciplines – systems, software, mechanical, etc. You must be eager to receive and give peer feedback that enables our high performing team to be greater than the sum of its parts.

This position reports to the Director, Electrical Engineering and is a hybrid role based out of our Tukwila, WA office. 

Responsibilities:

• Serve as digital hardware design engineer for spacecraft avionics, with involvement in all phases at different levels of assembly including requirements development, design, prototyping, bring-up, testing, debug, design iteration, and eventual transition to a production environment
• Synthesize design requirements from unit level and system level specifications
• Write HDL for variety of FPGAs and verify it using simulation and test
• Create test benches for your designs
• Troubleshoot performance during hardware testing/bring-up
• Create interface and design description documentation to support the Flight Software (FSW) verification and validation process
• Interface with external suppliers to develop specifications, exchange data and deliverables, troubleshoot issues, and develop integration and test approaches.
• Participate in Research & Development initiatives and provide support for the establishment of new avionics products.

Required Qualifications:  

• Bachelor of Science in Electrical or Computer Engineering, or related field involving training in digital electronics design
• 10+ years of experience in digital design including HDL programming (VHDL preferred), test bench development, and prototype testing
• Experience with embedded processors in a SoC FPGA and the programmable logic-processor interfaces associated with those
• Demonstrated ability to write test benches utilizing ModelSim, Vivado Simulator, or similar
• Hands on lab experience using multi-meters, oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, programmable power supplies, etc.
• Experience with implementing, prototyping, and bringing up high speed interfaces
• Excellent interpersonal skills and belief in a strong collaborative approach within a multi-disciplinary team
• Must be a U.S. Person

Preferred Qualifications:

• Delivery of multiple products including full ownership from initial concept and architecture definition all the way through production and final implementation
• Experience in such as precision voltage references, oscillators, supervisory circuits, and ADCs
• Experience in component selection for devices such as FPGAs, ADCs, DDR, NVRAM, and high speed transceivers (LVDS, Ethernet PHYs, etc)
• Experience in 10Gb Ethernet or PCIe
• Experience designing electronics for use in a space environment
• Experience with Microchip and AMD/Xilinx FPGA development
• Experience designing automated test equipment using Python
• Proficiency with C, C++, Perl, Python

Life at BlackSky for full-time benefits eligible employees includes:

• Medical, dental, vision, disability, group term life and AD&D, voluntary life and AD&D insurance
• BlackSky pays 100% of employee-only premiums for medical, dental and vision and contributes $100/month for out-of-pocket expenses!
• 15 days of PTO, 11 Company holidays, four Floating Holidays (pro-rated based on hire date), one day of paid volunteerism leave per year, parental leave and more
• 401(k) pre-tax and Roth deferral options with employer match
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Employee Stock Purchase Program
• Employee Assistance and Travel Assistance Programs
• Employer matching donations
• Professional development
• Awesome swag

The anticipated salary range for candidates in the Great Seattle Area, WA is 160,000 -180,000 per year. The final compensation package offered to a successful candidate will be dependent on specific background and education. BlackSky is a multi-state employer, and this pay scale may not reflect salary ranges in other states or locations outside of the Great Seattle Area.

BlackSky is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer All Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

EEO/AAP/ Pay Transparency Statements:

https://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/eeopost.pdf

https://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/OFCCP_EEO_Supplement_Final_JRF_QA_508c.pdf